Mobile handset to retiring officers

NOINO wrote a letter to the ED (OS/SBU-Estates) pointing out discrepancy in their circular dated 02.09.2013 on above subject. The letter is reproduced below:

20.9.2013

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The Executive Director (OS/SBU-Estates),

L.I.C. of India.

Respected Sir,

Re: Mobile handset cost re-imbursement to officers retiring before completion of 3 years

       We invite your attention to the circular Ref:CO/OS/Mobile/2013-14/03(a) dated 2.9.2013. In this circular, the clarification regarding officers retiring before completion of 3 years (of purchase of mobile handset) is as under:--

“In case of normal retirement of an officer/superannuation before completion of 3 years from date of purchase of mobile handset, he she will have to pay 30% notional depreciated value of the mobile phone”

      Now kindly refer the earlier circular Ref:CO/OS/Mobile/2013-14/03 dated 1.7.2013. In this circular, following are the relevant references regarding the officers retiring before completion of 3 years from date of purchase of mobile handset:-

“a. In case, an officer is compulsorily retired/removed/dismissed from service….then he/she will have to pay the notional depreciated value of the mobile handset”

  “b. In case of voluntary retirement/resignation etc, before completion of 3 years from date …then he/she will have to pay the notional depreciated value of the mobile handset”.

Thus, nowhere in the earlier circular, there is a mention of normal retirement or superannuation before completion of 3 years from date of purchase of mobile handset. Not only there is no mention of normal retirement or superannuation, there is specific mention of officers who would compulsorily retire/removed/dismissed/voluntarily retired/resigned before completion of 3 years from purchase of mobile handset.

It is clear that anybody will logically deduce that the criterion for payment of notional depreciated value; therefore, do not apply to officers on normal retirement/superannuation before completion of 3 years from purchase of mobile handset. Based on this logic some officers in the above category have purchased the mobile handset. Many of them also got the re-imbursement promptly. It seems unfair & unreasonable that we should recover the notional depreciated value from such officers who have purchased the mobile handset during the period from 1^st July 2013 to 1^st September 2013.

We, therefore, request you to issue instructions specifying that the clause regarding the officers on normal retirement/superannuation in the circular dated 2^nd September 2013 would apply prospectively & not retrospectively.

Anagha Sant

GS, NOINO

Shri Ganesh Chaturthi

Greetings on Shri Ganesh Chaturthi !

NOINO APPEALS AGAIN FOR JOINT FRONT ON WAGE-REVISION

On 31^st January 2013, NOINO had appealed for a joint front on Wage-revision & allied issues to all the other unions in LIC having the negotiating table. Today, i.e. 6^th September 2013, NOINO has once again renewed its appeal for joint front. The format of the letter sent to the unions are reproduced below. The appeal has been once again made to NOIW / AIIEA / Class III Federation / Class I Federation / BVKS / All India Life / NFIFWI (development officers) / ABJBNCSKS (Class IV) / INTUC (Class III).

06.09.2013

The General Secretary,

(All unions in LIC)

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Dear Brother,

Re: Formation of Joint Front for Charter and allied issues

     Please refer to our earlier letter dated 31.01.2013 on the above subject sent to you on the same date. We are still awaiting your response.

    Banks’ talks are in progress and gradually taking final shape though, we would like to make it clear that our earlier stand of settling our Charter according to our financial status - separate from banks - remains as it is.

      At our end, talks have not been initiated yet, though more than 1 year already elapsed since our wage revision was due. Information Sharing between management and unions did not take place during last 3 years.

      In view of all above, we feel, time has come when we need to form a joint front and move united. Banks have even gone to the extent of presenting joint Charter. We can at least put pressure on the management to initiate the process – united we can do it better. This is also the feeling of majority of the employees, according to us.

       I, on behalf of National Organization of Insurance Officers (NOINO), once again put proposal for formation of Joint Front for the purpose of Wage Revision and other common allied issues. We request you to please take a decision in this regard at your end at the earliest and communicate to us. We may also decide to meet at a place convenient to all of us.

Hoping to hear shortly from you and with regards,

Yours sisterly,

Sd/-

Anagha Sant

General Secretary,

NOINO

Mobile handset allowed to officers on deputation

One more demand of NOINO has been accepted by LIC management. After the introduction of the mobile handset cost re-imbursement scheme on 1^st July 2013, NOINO first raised some issues regarding this scheme during the discussions with ED(P) on 12^th July 2013. The relevant part of our circular is reproduced below:-

“Mobile handset re-imbursement:- While welcoming the benefit introduced by the management, we also demanded A) the starting limit should be increased to 10000/. B) It should be paid to officers on deputation to other organizations. C) It should also be paid to all officers on probation. ED agreed to look into the matter.”

 Thereafter NOINO wrote a letter to the ED(OS/SBU/ESTATE) on 5^th August 2013 regarding various pending issues. One of the issue was regarding mobile handset re-imbursement, demanding certain improvements in the scheme. The relevant part of the letter is reproduced as under:-

“Mobile handset re-imbursement: - A) the benefit should be available to officers on deputation to other organizations. B) It should be available to officers on probation. An undertaking of proportionate recovery in case, the officer opts for reversion to Class III can be obtained. C) The gaps between the amounts of re-imbursement in the three categories seem to be large. The limit for re-imbursement can start from Rs 10000/-. D) There is no clarification as to who is the competent authority to sanction the handset re-imbursement at various levels. We are raising this query because, in some branches, the officers are being told that only Divisional Office is the competent authority. A clarification on this issue is required.”

The management has accepted our demand(refer circular CO/OS/Mobile 2013-14/03(b)) & now the benefit would be available to our officers posted/deputed in LIC HFL/LIC Card Services/Insurance Institute of India/ GBIC/HINS/IRDA/LIC HFL Care Homes/LIC Nomura Mutual Fund/ LIC Pension Fund/NIA etc. We thank the management for accepting one of our demands.

NOINO will continue to follow-up the pending issues.

EPFO - Is your pension safe?

By Economic Times Bureau | 2 Sep, 2013, 04.04AM IST

The Employees' Pension Scheme run by the EPFO has an estimated deficit of Rs 54,000 crore. If the defined benefit plan, which covers 8.25 crore members of the EPF, continues in its present form, it may go bankrupt by the time GenX is eligible to receive the pension.

57th Anniversary of LIC

LIC completed 57 years of committed service to the nation & its people and entered into unchallenged 58th year. Congratulations!

NOINO wishes LIC and all LICians a glorious future!